F mount adaptor for Leica and Zeiss lenses

[olivier_reichenbach]

Hello,

 

I'm wondering if ti it exists surch a thing as an adaptor to mount Contax Zeiss lenses (AE or

MM) and/or Leica M lenses on a Nikon body. I'd love to take advantage of these great optics

with a great body like the F5. Thanks for your help.

[harry_akiyoshi]

<A HREF="http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mounts.htm">Look at this.</A> <P>

 

Nikons have a pretty long flange-to-film distance, which makes it very difficult to adapt lenses of other brands. M lenses are absolutely out of the question except for very close macro work, which is virtually the opposite of what they're designed for. Certain R lenses (I'm thinking of the 400mm telephotos) can be adapted for Nikon.<P>

 

Basically, unless you're willing to have the mount custom-modified (won't work on all lenses -- definitely won't work on the M's), you're stuck with an adapter that uses a lens to compensate for the difference in lens registers. Most of these are expensive and of disappointing quality.

[harry_akiyoshi]

And now that I think of it, what better body is there for Leica M lenses than a Leica M? Or possibly a Hexar RF. Depends what you like. Nevertheless, if it were possible to adapt the lenses to the F5, it would be horribly inconvenient to use. Stop-down metering, no AF, no color matrix meter, none of that stuff that you pay for when you buy an F5. If you want M-quality lenses, buy an M.

[ShunCheung]

Nikon has made its share of great (as well as mediocre) optics. If you can afford the higher-end Nikkor lenses, their quality is just fine. I happen to use Contax 645 and have a Leica M body, and I don't feel that Nikkor lenses are inferior. IMO there is no point to adapt Leica and Zeiss lenses onto your F5 and lose the advantage of AF, matrix metering, etc. And as Andrew points out, if you really like some Leica M lenses, you are better off getting a Leica body to match them.

[panya w.]

I don't think you can do it with M lenses. I only have success with R lenses though. See

http://www.photo.net/photo/1383948

[giuseppe_malaspina1]

I have see it at this link

http://www.cameraquest.com/adaptnew.htm

it costs about 175$, but I don't know how it works.

Ciao

[alex_lofquist]

I adapted a Leica 200mm Telyt to ny F4S. It wasn't worth the bother!